Hurricane, EMP attack, Solar flare, Yellowstone Volcano, Global Warming, race war, civil war, foreign invasion, viral outbreak, take over by the Federal Government, financial collapse or economic depression, zombie apocalypse; what is it that drives you to prepare for the future?
Hurricane: I think we can all agree on the massive devastation and chaos a hurricane can cause as we’ve witnessed it time and time again. 2016 saw the first increase in hurricane activity since 2012 with 7 hurricanes and 4 considered major. Hurricanes can be a real concern depending of course on where you live. Before our relocation to Tennessee we had considered the Carolina’s, events such as this are why we decided otherwise. Move out of such a zone if you can, or have that ‘bug out’ bag ready when the weatherman says go.
EMP Attack: Definitely not out of the realm of possibility. We know the technology exists and we know our enemies (namely North Korea) have it. We also know that the electrical grid is pretty fragile, and even a relatively small weapon could have far reaching effects. An EMP could change life as we know it in mere seconds.
Solar Flare: Again, not out of the realm of possibility. On July 12th, 2012 we had a near miss with a massive solar flare that could have had catastrophic effects (read here.) If the event had occurred just one week earlier, earth would have been in the direct line of fire – we got lucky, real lucky. Such a solar event would take down power, internet, cell phone towers and even municipal water supplies for an indefinite amount of time. According to some scientists the odds of such a solar flare hitting us in the next 10 years run from 10-12%.
Yellowstone Super Volcano: This is one I really just heard about recently as a strong concern for some preppers. Such an event could kill 10’s of thousands immediately while the US would be blanketed in an ash cloud that could cause a ‘nuclear winter.’ Scientists say the odds are 1 in 700,000 that such an eruption could happen in any given year, that is if you believe scientists these days. See next topic.
Global Warming: Sorry no. The so-called threat of Global Warming is nothing more than the age old practice of using of fear to control people’s behavior. Make no mistake; people are getting rich selling you a line of bull. Oddly enough, the very same ‘scientists’ who warned us of a coming ice age in the Seventies, are now telling us the temperatures will rise. They claim this cataclysmic rise in temperature will cause crop failure, rising oceans, war, starvation and death – because you decided to buy an SUV! They tell us ‘the science is settled’, but is it really? Understand, most scientists are able to conduct their studies only with the help of Government or University grants. Guess what happens if your conclusions differ from what these institutions profess as fact – that’s right, no more grants for you! Note: if Al Gore really believed all the propaganda he’s selling you, why did he buy a $9 million beach front home in Montecito CA? Al Gore predicted in 2007 that there would be no ice left at the North Pole by 2013, well guess what, he missed by a mere 920,000 square miles of ice! Still not convinced, then do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Phil Valentine’s An Inconsistent Truth
Civil War/Race War/Civil Unrest: Likely at least to some degree. You can probably argue that we are standing on the edge of major civil unrest. I don’t see or certainly hope I never see another civil war, race war or any kind of war in this country. Frighteningly enough I hear some people saying it’s time for a civil war or 2nd Revolution, careful what you wish for. However, we are definitely seeing a rapid increase in violent behavior in our extremely fragile society. Riots and looting in Baltimore, Ferguson, and Milwaukee over perceived injustice with much more festering just under the surface. We’ve seen the BLM movement block major highways and thoroughfares, disrupting the lives of thousands while police are told to stand down. We’ve seen college campuses erupt into riots because someone they disagree with is scheduled to speak so near their ‘safe zone.’ We’ve seen the police pelted with rocks and bottles, police cars burned, innocent civilians beaten for being the wrong color; all of it, yes all of it, excused and justified by a corrupt media. Your proximity to highly populated areas exponentially increases the threat to your family.
Foreign Invasion: Really depends on your definition of invasion. If your fear is of the Russian or Chinese armies rumbling through your neighborhood, then the odds are pretty low at this time. However, if you look at the massive invasion going on at our southern border or the 10,000 so-called Syrian refugees the feds dumped into our neighborhoods, then I would say the invasion is well under way.
Vial Outbreak: Likely, though not necessarily to the level of a national catastrophe. We are already seeing a return of diseases such as measles and TB (killed 900,000 people worldwide in 2012), once completely wiped out in the US, being spread by those crossing our borders illegally. As of this writing there is a massive outbreak of measles in MN. Then there is the Zika Virus, Ebola, Hantavirus, HIV/AIDS, flesh eating disease, and on and on it goes. Though these diseases might not be the greatest threat themselves, in the event that one of the previously mentioned scenarios does occur, disease could definitely become an aggravating factor.
Takeover by the Federal Government: While we may be seeing a temporary reduction in Federal intrusion, I fear it is only temporary and that in the long term the Government will continue it’s march towards greater control. The Federal Government has been growing bigger and more powerful, not just in recent years, but going back even to Woodrow Wilson and LBJ. If Obamacare isn’t a prefect example of an out of control Federal Government than I don’t know what is. The recent push for MORE gun control, the transgender bathroom decree, the seizing of water rights, the expansion of federally owned land and the Common Core take over of your local schools are just a few recent examples of an overbearing Federal Government.
Financial Collapse/2nd Great Depression: Highly likely in my humble opinion. I personally think this is the most likely SHTF scenario; $19.5 Trillion national debt, 46 million on food stamps, 94 million not in the work force, Social Security on the brink of collapse and Medicaid flooded with millions of new recipients – it’s nearly a perfect storm. The media tells us the economy is growing at a reasonable rate, but is it really? We have propped up the markets by pumping in Billions of newly printed dollars, but common sense should tell us that eventually there has to be a day of reckoning. The value of the dollar is basically supported by consumer confidence and the ‘full faith and credit’ of the US Government. Really? The US Government spent 100’s of Billions bailing out the Unions and other favored entities that bowed to the previous administration, and regulated to death those that our left wing President didn’t like. Yes, we have slowly and temporarily crawled back from the edge (on paper anyway) by pumping more hot air into a balloon already nearing its bursting point. Our Government, and most of the American voters, learned nothing from the 2008 recession. Instead of taking it as a wake-up call, we have doubled down on the policies that got us there in the first place. We continue to artificially keep lending rates low to encourage people to go in debt while punishing those who try to save for the future. We are back to pushing ‘No Money Down, Cash Out’ mortgages, etc, etc, etc. I’m not predicting a single major incident will bring down the economy; I personally think we are already in a slow but steady downward spiral that we can likely not escape.
Short Term Disruptions: Floods, wildfires, ice storms, tornados, etc., are really the most likely threats you and your family will face. While the other scenarios mentioned here have the potential to be more widespread and catastrophic, the basic preparations are the same. If you have enough supplies (and skills) to survive a 3 week isolation due to an ice storm, you will already have a great start in preparing for whatever disaster may come your way.
Zombie Apocalypse: Though it makes for entertaining movies and TV shows, it’s not very likely folks. Note: if you watch these Pokeman people driving off the road and walking into traffic to chase some fictional game character – well, maybe we’re already there.
Did I miss anything? I’m sure I did, but these are the scenarios I hear spoken of most often. I’ve said it in the past, but when it comes to prepping, I believe in an all of the above approach. I take an all of the above strategy to food storage, water, fuel, security, and yes, all of the above on any and all threats to our way of life.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Happy Prepping!
Prepper 365 